A/N: Wooooo we're so close to the end after FIFTY CHAPTERS! This one really got away from me tbh.

A little BTS cameo in this part for anyone who was wonderign about them And Tao because where has he been lately, am I right?

Enjoy! Leave a comment. Let me know what you think. I have a headache now so I'm going to go rest.

xoxo

Chapter 50

Kris’s birthday party was in full swing and going well. The dorm was full of people happy to party on a Saturday night and the neighbouring dorms had opened their doors too so the party could spread throughout the corridor and in and out of different rooms. There just wasn’t enough space otherwise.

Kris had spent most of the time sitting down though with Chen tucked under his arm. They snuggled together, making their couple status well known to everyone who saw them. Chen couldn’t keep the smile off his face even if he wondered whether anyone would guess what he and Kris had done earlier. He could still feel the ache from it inside.

“Do you want a drink?”

He looked up at Kris and nodded. “Yes please.”

His boyfriend kissed his nose making him laugh and headed off to the kitchen. Almost as soon as he left Baekhyun and Chanyeol appeared in front of him, perching on the edge of the coffee table.

“Have you been here all day?” asked Baekhyun.

“Are you two back together?” asked Chanyeol at the same time.

Chen blinked and laughed. He nodded, answering both questions in one gesture.

“Did he apologise for biting you?” Chanyeol asked with a dark look on his face. He looked towards the kitchen as if he could see Kris through the walls.

“He’s apologised plenty of times,” said Chen. “I forgive him. It’s different now.”

Baekhyun reached out to squeeze his hand and gave him a bright smile. “So long as you’re happy.”

“I am. Very happy.”

“Just tell us if he ever does anything dumb again, okay?” Chanyeol wrapped his long arms around Chen and hugged him warmly. Chen was a little surprised.

“He won’t,” he assured him as he sat back in the seat again. “It’s different now. We’re serious. I know he loves me.”

“Different? What do you mean? Did you…?” Baekhyun’s eyes suddenly went wide and he practically bounced with excitement. “Oh my God, did you?”

His boyfriend looked at him with a pout. “Did they what?”

“Did you sleep together?”

Chen’s blush was all the answer he needed.

“You slept with him!?” Chanyeol blurted a little too loudly. Chen shushed him while Baekhyun slapped his arm. Subtly wasn’t his best trait. “But you just made up.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Baekhyun reprimanded, a note of annoyance creeping into his voice as Chen turned even more red and looked down, almost like he felt guilty. “When it feels right it feels right.”

Chen glanced up and gave him a little thankful smile, trying to ignore how Chanyeol was still staring at him in shock.

“What are you guys talking about?” Kris resumed his position by his botyfriend, arm around his shoulders so he could keep him snuggled close. Baekhyun glanced between them with a ceeky smile on his face.

“Nothing. We were just going.” He grabbed Chanyeol’s hand and pulled his dumbfounded boyfriend to his feet so the two lovebirds could be alone again.

Suho had been keeping an eye on Sehun since they had arrived. Of course he had made a bee-line  to Lay as soon as he spotted him but they had mostly kept the PDAs to a minimum. They were playing with each other’s fingers as they talked though. And giving each other long loving gazes. And sitting pressed together even though there was really no need to be.

Part of Suho admitted that it was cute and if it were anyone else he would be rooting for them but this was his Sehunnie. He couldn’t help but remember what he had seen when he caught the two of them together the first time. He could admit that it was about more than just now but he also didn’t trust the two of them not to sneak off and find a quiet place all to themselves the first chance they got.

“Hey,” said a voice beside him. It took a second for him to realise they were speaking to him and he was surprised to find Tao leaning on the wall beside him. “Are you going to stare at them all night?”

Suho cleared his throat. “Am I that obvious?”

“I don’t think they’ve noticed but they’re too busy looking at each other. “ He gave Suho a crooked smile that wasn’t returned. He sighed.

“Lay’s a good guy, you know? He would never hurt anyone, especially Sehun. I thought you two were friends before this. Don’t you have classes together?”

“We do.” They had been friends, he supposed, and Lay did seem like a good guy. He couldn’t help but admit that.

“Do you want to get a drink?” Tao nodded towards the kitchen.

Suho sighed and bit his bottom lip as he looked at the loving couple again.

“They’re not going to do anything. Kris has Lay under strict instructions to stay where they can be seen at all times.”

Maybe he and Suho weren’t that different after all. Suho pushed himself off the wall. “Ok then.”

They went together into the kitchen where they immediately startled a couple who clearly thought they were alone. Taehyung pulled away from Hoseok with a surprised yelp. His cheeks had turned immediately pink and he ran his tongue unconsciously over his slightly swollen lips. Hoseok laughed nervously.

“So-sorry,” he said. “We were just leaving.” He tangled his fingers with Taehyung’s – the younger boy looking at him in surprise and wonder – and pulled him out of the kitchen.

“I didn’t know they were together,” said Suho. He grabbed a drink and turned to sit at the table. Tao followed him.

“Me either. It doesn’t look like they’ve been together very long anyway.”

“Do you think that was their first kiss?”

“Oh, now I feel bad for interrupting them.”

Suho laughed and it made Tao smile. It felt like a long time since he had seen him looking happy.

“You know,” he said, “I think it’s really nice of you to let your pack come here after everything that’s happened.”

He shrugged. “Kris invited us. Besides, we were friends before.”

“Can we all be friends again?”

He sighed and swirled his drink thoughtfully. “Maybe. I hope so.” There was a pause and then he added, “Sometimes I wish I were more like Kris. He seems to be able to let go of what happened easier than me.”

“That’s because he has Chen.” Tao took a drink. “My parents always said that an alpha should have a mate. Or a good omega to take care of.”

“Why?”

“Because an alpha has to be strict and in control so much of the time, if they have a mate then they can show weakness and be less strict to keep their mate happy without anyone else seeing it as being weakness.”

“That’s smart.”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure about Chen at first, I thought he was just using Kris to be in a pack and get some protection, but I know he loves him now. And he’s really good for him. Kris would do anything for him and he won’t be too strict on any of us in case it upsets or scares him. That’s why he let Xiumin join us and why Lay didn’t get punished so bad.”

“I guess that’s why I miss Sehun so much.” Suho leant back in his chair and tried to peer through the gap in the open door to see his maknae but he coulnd’t. “Sehun was the youngest. I could use him as an excuse to not be so strict, he always hated fighting, but now he’s the one doing things wrong. I don’t think he knew how important his position was to me.”

“You need a maknae to baby,” said Tao with a grin, “or a mate. Then you have someone to share things with, someone you can show weakness around and not have to be all alpha male with all the time.”

Suho groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. What Tao was saying made a lot of sense and deep down he had always known it.  He had relied on Xiumin as the oldest to discuss things with and help him lead the pack while he had relied on Sehun to let him express his more vulnerable side that an alpha could only show around his mate or omegas because they wouldn’t see it as a weakness and try to take over the pack. Logically he knew that his packmates were loyal to him as leader but his wolf side would also have to make sure he maintained power. Especially with an alpha like Chanyeol in the pack. The only reason he never challenged his leadership was because Baekhyun had joined the pack before they met and respected Suho’s leadership enough to stop him from trying to take over.

“Maybe that’s why alphas and omegas mate so often,” Tao mused.

Suho nodded. “Maybe it is.”

“Do you think our packs can ever be friends again?”

“I think most of them are pretty good friends already.” Suho thought of Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Chen. Then he thought of the two couples that had developed between their pack members. “Hmm.”

“Hmm what?” asked Tao.

“Nothing.” The alpha shook his head, not ready to express his idea yet. “Just something I’m thinking about.”

“What?” Tao pouted.

Suho laughed. How could a wolf that was known to be such a good fighter and who could look so scary sometimes suddenly pout so cutely? “I’ll tell you later, maybe. Come on, let’s go and join the others. You can’t spend a whole party sitting in the kitchen.”